Personal ramblings of Elizabeth Andrews Fae artist and author of 'Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles,' 'Faerie Flora'and the 'The Lavender Witch' all available from
www.magic-myth-legend.co.uk and Amazon

Monday, 17 April 2017

Weird and wonderful folkore surrounding the Cuckoo

It is at this time of year that you can expect to hear the first cuckoo and

if you are walking at the time it is considered to be lucky.

Not so lucky to hear it while lying in bed as this means that you or

someone in your family will die that year.

If you have no money in your pocket when she calls or if you fail to

turn over all the coins you have, you will be poor all year.

On hearing the cuckoo sit down and immediately take off your

left shoe you will find in it a hair of exactly the same colour as that of

your true love.

If you wish to know how many years of life you have left then count

how many times it calls, each call equates to one year of life.

On hearing its first call run three times in a circle, giving good luck for

the rest of the year. It is also encouraged that you run to the nearest gate

and sit on the top rail as this will drive away the spirit of laziness.

On Dartmoor along the River Teign the older generation believed that

the song of the cuckoo called the salmon upstream

March, he sits on his perch; April he tunes his bill; May, he sings all day;

June he alters his tune, and July, away he do fly"

This is a Reedwarbler feeding a juvenile cuckoo!

According to Aristotle the cuckoo should be praised for its resourcefulnes, for laying its egg in another birds nest.

This habit has led to a connection between cuckoo and cuckoldry and indeed the word cuckold is derived from cuckoo.

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About Me

Hi I am a artist and author Elizabeth Andrews, and I love all things Faerie. My work can be found at www.magic-myth-legend.co.uk where if you wish you can purchase cards and prints of all things magical from Faerie to Mermaids and even Dragons!
This interest has become an obsession over the last ten year resulting in a fully illustrated book detailing Faerie and Folklore around the British Isles. I hope that if you, like me, are a 'Faerie nut' that you will enjoy this blog as I comment on any faerie activity around the British Isles. However I do find myself adding more and more quirky items on folkLore so I apologise but I find them so fascinating and funny!!